WILD SERVICE — A BOOK TO CHERISH AND TO LOVE

 REVIEW

Book Title Wild Service — Why Nature Needs You

Edited by Nick Hayes with Jon Moses

Publisher Bloomsbury

A wonderful book and so lovely to hold in the hand. 

Full of concepts to absorb and a call to do what we should do.

It’s a call for action and have the right to roam.

I have already reviewed the Prologue which is an informative read, also Reconnection written by Jon Moses and Recommoning by Nadia Shaikh. All three previous pieces are different and introduce their own concepts.

My eyes were drawn to the next chapter, Rope Swing, ‘The Archtecture of Belonging, and  an invitation to share relationship. The Rope Swing is an invitation to come on over. The single thought of grabbing that rope to swing out over a space is simply just that — an invitation. This is where space becomes a place. That instance of freedom over owned land is brought to the reader’s attention by a simple device. The thoughts here in under three pages introduce another concept. A gradual process of common law to common lore — a custom with knowledge of knowing what is there without anyone’s consent. 

Adrian, Marsh Man, takes us into a different place with different ideas. He has claimed, in his way, and by his own endeavors to recreate what others have messed with on his wetland. And this is within 10 minutes of Reading town centre! Holybrook, i a channel cut by monks to feed Reading Abbey is still running. The monks nurtured this wetland and saw it as a living larder, an Eden brimming with edible wildfowl. Not lingering in despair when the heavy machinery churned up the mud Adrian collected the brash, planted the sticks and now there is a natural screen. That is what wildlife love; a home, for insects and for birds too.

He is an innovative man and by collecting suitable fallen  sticks from London Plane trees he creates catapults. Seeds are imbedded into a globule of clay and fired out over the water. He claims not to control but says he is acting as a vector, like birds in the wind. Wonderful ideas and I used to love catapults. I may have a second coming and try it again. 

The next ten pages are dedicated to Stewardship by Guy Shrubsole. He is the author of The Book of Trespass, Who Owns Britain and the Lost Rainforests of Britain and all three sit on my desk. It is impossible to review everything in this chapter but I can bring certain aspects to the fore.

Shrubsole asks these;

‘Landowners, we are told, are the rightful stewards of the land. But who holds them to account? Why are the public at large not regarded as capable of stewardship of the land?’

To enhance that the Country Landowners Association and the National Farmers’ Union published a joint statement entitled ‘Caring for the Countryside’. And of course some government ministers have supported outright their intent. This chapter does not maintain there are not good stewards among them but the power is in too many controlling hands.

There is a disconnect as people have lost contact with the natural and that is why so many writers argue that it has to be recovered. It is happening with Rebel Botanists who talk of ‘plant blindness’ and others who encourage awareness. Lastly, and enough for now, trespassing is needed to look, to see and to report on misdemeanours and also unwanted invasive species. 

Wonderful reading and this book should be a must for all.